Why Is Baptism Important?

Ask Pastor John
Episode: 1588

[oreoluwaoyinlola]

Getting baptized this morning. Thank You, Jesus for saving faith.

[HearGodsWord]

Jesus needed to be baptised so that's a good place to start when thinking about it.

[thundershadow]

Baptism is important because it is the signet of covenant relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

[maxaplin]

Here are two things about baptism that John Piper didn't mention in this video:

(1) Baptism should take place immediately upon coming to faith. This is the consistent pattern in the book of Acts. For example, Paul is baptised on the day he comes to faith (Acts 9:10-18; 22:16), and the same is true of Cornelius and his family and friends (Acts 10:47-48).

Nowhere in the New Testament do we find anyone who is baptised later than the same day that they come to faith in Christ. And we should do the same today.

(2) Baptism is not primarily a public declaration of faith. There is little or no evidence in the NT that it ever functioned in this way.
Instead, baptism is directed primarily towards the person being baptised. If no one is able to witness it other than the one being baptised and the other Christian doing the baptising, that is no problem. The baptism should go ahead anyway.

Public declarations of the faith of new converts are a good thing where possible, but that is not what baptism is.

[trtcommunity]

Great as usual. Thank you DG ministries.

[Richie]

a sacred ceremonial sacrament; lord's spirit anoints in blessing.

[rockdesu]

Like number 600 👍
I'm getting baptized soon. Taking classes on why it's important to get baptized first.

[jonathanbohl]

I respect John Piper. He was instramental in my faith journey. I have since come to believe that baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation. 'baptism now saves you'. He mentioned church fathers. I doubt he has really looked into what they said about baptism. Did you know they all thought John 3 being born again referred to baptism. If he's wrong anyone who delays baptism is at great risk of their eternity. Most Christians think it's necessary by the way. About 1.3 billion. Catholic, Orthodox, Lutherans and other protestants. He's in the minority. He basically says it's his opinion like he does so often. When you take the Bible and remove it from history it can be made to say whatever one wants.

[kac]

THE BIBLE SAYS BAPTISM SAVES US

Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

1 Peter 3:21
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, ) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

[jasoncryer]

Being baptised shows you are burying the old and raising to newness in life in Imperials 🎶 Water Grave 🎶

[surfhawaiiwaves]

What about the thief on the cross? He was not baptized but saved. If a non believer at the end of his or her life gives their life to Jesus on a death bed with no baptism that person is not saved? So pastor John is saying baptism IS a requirement for salvation? just trying to confirm. thank you!

[bekahchu]

Pray for me. I've believed since I was a small child but due to many circumstances and within the past 10 years my disabilities got worse with little to no accessibility in my home, outside of my home and, in my community I have not been baptized and I do not go to a church. I am 24 and when I was a teenager I went through a faith crisis so I couldn't be baptized and mean it since I was having to question why I believe what I believe beyond just because my parents told me to. I couldn't get baptized when I first believed either since I was 3 years old and it raised the same questions as infant baptism which my parents both rejected although they did know and see that my faith was real beyond just a little kid believing whatever they're told since I stuck to it for my entire life even when I had questions I never walked away from my faith. I know at the very least Jesus commands it and I'm not doing as he commands which is wrong and at the most some Christians who I do not know enough to say they are or aren't correct think I'm not saved at all because I haven't been baptized regardless of circumstances. This has caused my second major faith crisis about baptism and denominations and branches of Christianity since this issue has divided up churches for hundreds or possibly even thousands of years. I know God will lead me down the right path eventually but, I am worried I am not doing enough even though it is out of my control.

[SpotterVideo]

Old Covenant Baptism vs. New Covenant Baptism (water vs. Spirit)

Water baptism was a part of the Old Covenant system of ritual washing. The Old Covenant priests had to wash before beginning their service in the temple. (Ex. 30:17-30) When Christ was water baptized by His cousin John in the Jordan River, He was under the Old Covenant system. He also only ate certain foods, and wore certain clothes, as prescribed by the 613 Old Covenant laws. Christ was water baptized by John and then the Holy Spirit came from heaven. The order is reversed in the New Covenant. A person receives the Holy Spirit upon conversion, and then believers often declare their conversion to their friends and family through a water baptism ceremony. Which baptism makes you a member of Christ’s Church?

The New Covenant conversion process is described below. (Born-again)

Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

(A person must “hear” the Gospel, and “believe” the Gospel, and will then be “sealed” with the Holy Spirit.)

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
(See Jer. 31:34 for the New Covenant promise, and 1 John 2:27 for the fulfillment)



Which baptism is a part of the salvation process, based on what the Bible says?
What did Peter say below?

Acts 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Acts 11:16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.


Based on Luke 3:16, and John 1:33, and Acts 11:15-16, the most important thing about the word "baptize" in the New Testament has nothing to do with water. The Holy Spirit is the master teacher promised to New Covenant believers in Jeremiah 31:34, and John 14:26, and is found fulfilled in Ephesians 1:13, and 1 John 2:27. Unfortunately, many modern Christians see water when they read the word "baptize" in the text.

Based on the above, what is the one baptism of our faith found in the passage below? How many times is the word "Spirit" found in the passage, and how many times is the word "water" found in the passage?

Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
Eph 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, (See 1 Cor. 12:13)

“baptize” KJV

Mat_3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Mar_1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Water or Holy Spirit?, See Eph. 1-13.)

Luk_3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

Joh_1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

Joh_1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

1Co_1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (See Eph. 4:1-5)

Heb 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. (Old Covenant ----> New Covenant)


How many people have been saved by the Old Covenant water baptism of John the Baptist?

Who did John the Baptist say is the greatest Baptist that ever lived in Luke 3:16? What kind of New Covenant baptism comes from Christ?

Hebrews 9:10 Old Covenant vs. New Covenant

(ESV) but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

(Geneva) Which only stood in meates and drinkes, and diuers washings, and carnal rites, which were inioyned, vntill the time of reformation.

(GW) These gifts and sacrifices were meant to be food, drink, and items used in various purification ceremonies. These ceremonies were required for the body until God would establish a new way of doing things.

(KJV) Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

(KJV+) Which stood onlyG3440 inG1909 meatsG1033 andG2532 drinks, G4188 andG2532 diversG1313 washings, G909 andG2532 carnalG4561 ordinances, G1345 imposedG1945 on them untilG3360 the timeG2540 of reformation.G1357

(NKJV) concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

(NLT) For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.

(YLT) only in victuals, and drinks, and different baptisms, and fleshly ordinances—till the time of reformation imposed upon them .



What the modern Church needs is a New Covenant Revival (Heb. 9:10) in which members of various denominations are willing to re-examine everything they believe and see if it agrees with the Bible, instead of the traditions of men. We need to be like the Bereans. It will be a battle between our flesh and the Holy Spirit. It will not be easy.

Nobody can completely understand the Bible unless they understand the relationship between the Old Covenant given to Moses at Mount Sinai and the New Covenant fulfilled in blood at Calvary.

What brings all local churches together into one Body under the blood of Christ? The answer is found below.

New Covenant Whole Gospel:

Let us now share the Old Testament Gospel found below with the whole world. On the road to Emmaus He said the Old Testament is about Him.
He is the very Word of God in John 1:1, 14. Awaken Church to this truth.

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by husband unto them, saith the LORD:
Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Is the most important genealogy in the Bible found in Matthew 1:1 (Gal. 3:16)? Is God's Son the ultimate fulfillment of Israel (John 1:49)? Why has the modern Church done a pitiful job of sharing the Gospel with modern Orthodox Jews? Why would someone tell them they are God's chosen people and then fail to share the Gospel with them? Who is the seed of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15? What did Paul say about Genesis 12:3 in Galatians 3:8? Who is the "son" in Psalm 2? Who is the "suffering servant" of Isaiah 53? Who would fulfill the New Covenant promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34? Who would fulfill the timeline of Daniel chapter 9 before the second temple was destroyed? Why have we not heard this simple Old Testament Gospel preached on Christian television in the United States on a regular basis?

Once a person comes to understand the New Covenant promised to Israel and Judah in Jeremiah 31:31-34, which is found fulfilled by Christ during the first century in Hebrews 8:6-13, and Hebrews 10:16-18, and specifically applied to the Church in 2 Corinthians 3:6-8, and Hebrews 12:22-24, man-made Bible doctrines fall apart.

Let us now learn to preach the whole Gospel until He comes back. The King of Israel is risen from the dead! (John 1:49, Acts 2:36)

We are not come to Mount Sinai in Hebrews 12:18. We are come instead to the New Covenant church of Mount Zion and the blood in Hebrews 12:22-24.

1Jn 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
1Jn 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jn 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Watch the YouTube videos “The New Covenant” by David Wilkerson, or Bob George, and David H.J. Gay.

[gordonsweeney]

If baptism is only a symbol or representation of faith, what is repentance? Where is salvation without repentance, water baptism, and baptism in the Holy Spirit?

[tedvinessr]

You are so close. We can not deny the necessity of baptism.

[toneyh]

Baptism saves you 1peter 3:21 but sins thereafter need confession and forgiveness, this is what the church taught before the misunderstanding of ‘born again’ in last few hundred years by some churches. We are born again through water and spirit (Holy Spirit) of baptism. Jesus was baptised by the unworthy John the baptist and a dove representing the Holy Spirit came down as he was washed in the water, he showed us so all will know.

If you come to Christ before the usual baptism with water and should die without water and baptism, the church teaches you can be saved through the fact you were following the lord (this is called baptism of desire). This is because like the good thief on the cross gods grace isn’t bound to the sacraments!

[leedonna]

I used to know but not anymore sorry Jehovah fori Rueann d henry A child was put to the test continuously thank you for the pain the chastisement sorrows

[lonewolfsurvival]

Most people seem to envision a baptism as you being in a body of water, a minister saying a prayer for you and you falling backward as two others catch you and lower you into the water and back up, as a spectating crowd applauds your allegiance to God. I haven't found a single verse in the bible that says a person needs to fall backward, needs to be in "living" (moving) water or that anyone, including a minister/pastor needs to even be there. The only requirement that I've found calls for "full submersion". The Jewish community have what are called "Mikvehs", which are basically just pools of water that a person goes into, alone (though, perhaps others MAY be present as well, I'm not exactly sure), and dunks themselves straight down into the water. I believe they use Mikvehs for, not only baptisms, but other things as well, such as women before they get married or when they are menstruating. Any Jewish here can correct me if I'm wrong on that. So, with "full submersion" and, of course repentance, being the only defined requirements of a baptism, I believe that one could theoretically baptize themselves in a pool and that would be acceptable to God. Perhaps, one could create agitation in the pool to create a "living water" condition if they choose. Now, of course God knows precisely what is in your heart and he will know if you're just going through the motions, so to speak. I think a person, if baptizing themselves, should pray on it beforehand, repent for their sins in a careful, deliberate manner and go in with a heavy heart and feel the Holy Spirit run through them as they go through the process. I don't believe in "celebrity baptisms" and I believe that a baptism has nothing at all to do with WHO is there and that it's all about WHAT you're doing and WHY. Like I said, God knows what's in your heart and what your intentions are, he knows if you're genuine about what you're doing or not. It's between you and HIM. Just my opinions here, of course, it's up to each of us to decipher and decide for ourselves what's acceptable and what's not. God LOVES us! I don't believe that he's hung up on minor details that aren't CLEARLY stated in the book, as long as he sees what he needs to see in our hearts and in our intentions. Just my thoughts, for what it's worth. I've been researching this pretty heavily the past few days and reading scripture relating to this subject, because I am actually planning to baptize myself this next Saturday, alone in a pool, just me and the Father. I take this pretty seriously and feel a heaviness in my heart just thinking about it, it's very humbling. I feel what I would describe as an overwhelmingly positive and encouraging energy within me. Maybe it's the Holy Spirit working through me? Anyway, I'm pretty excited, as well as a bit nervous, because I am fully aware that, once I do this I will have a lot of work to do in correcting some of my current bad habits and sinful ways. It feels like a life-changing kind of event for me, so I'm taking the week to try to prepare myself for it all. Wish me luck in my journey to be a better man and servant of THE Almighty!

EDIT: If anyone has a compelling reason why I shouldn't baptize myself and should, instead let someone else baptize me, I'm willing to listen. If so, I always appreciate Bible verses that I can cite. Thanks!

[nicekineza]

Ooooo Lord, have mercy on we, the sheep who did not study theology!!! I belong to a Lutheran Lutheran think that you the Calvinists are getting it wrong!!! And I, a stupid sheep, is busy thanking the most host high for having u and my Lutheran pastor!!! How great is our God and the Lamb!!

[kac]

In Acts 2:38 Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” At what point does Peter indicate that one receives “the forgiveness of [their] sins” as well as “the gift of the Holy Spirit?” When he or she is “baptized…in the name of Jesus Christ.”

In Romans 6:3-4 Paul wrote, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” At what point does Paul indicate that one dies to sin and receives new life? When he or she is “baptized into Christ.”

In Galatians 3:26-27 Paul wrote, “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” At what point does Paul indicate that one is “in Christ” and “put[s] on Christ?” When he or she is “baptized into Christ.”

Based on these passages we see that baptism is essential to salvation because it is when one’s sins are forgiven,  when one receives the Holy Spirit,  when one dies to sin,  when one starts a new life, and when one becomes a child of God in Christ. In other words, “Baptism is the time and place that God forgives and saves.”[1] Thus, when it comes to salvation, baptism is not the what but the when. The moment when you receive God’s saving grace is the moment you emerge from the watery tomb of baptism. That is why baptism is essential to salvation. Baptism “completes our response of saving faith, ” which “begins with a confessed belief,  continues with repentance, and is completed in baptism.”